WATCH | Mayor Phalatse to address Soweto residents’ service delivery issues

21 June 2022 - 18:07
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Residents of Soweto, led by Operation Dudula’s leader Nhlahla 'Lux' Dlamini, ask mayor Mpho Phalatse to address their service delivery challenges.
Residents of Soweto, led by Operation Dudula’s leader Nhlahla 'Lux' Dlamini, ask mayor Mpho Phalatse to address their service delivery challenges.
Image: Thapelo Morebudi/Sunday Times

Johannesburg mayor Mpho Phalatse on Tuesday asked residents from Soweto to give her 14 days to address their service delivery issues. 

Electricity outages in Soweto took centre stage when residents, including children, the elderly, members of Operation Dudula and representatives from different structures, marched to the civic centre in Braamfontein to ask the mayor to address their grievances.

Residents met the mayor, some of the members of the mayoral committee, an Eskom representative and the city manager outside the centre.   

“We will sit down and start communicating. Can you please give us 14 days to liaise? After 14 days we will call your leadership and give them a progress report on how negotiations are going and what the turnaround plan is. I have trust that if we do so, we will win,” Phalatse said.

She promised scores of residents that she would go through the memorandums and ensure no-one was left out.

“I want to thank the leadership. I know there are about 10 different groupings here — all from Soweto. I want to thank people who have organised that you come here. We are starting on a clean slate — we are no longer fighting,” she said.

Some of the elderly residents addressed the mayor and described how the problem of electricity in the area was affecting their daily lives.

Speaking on behalf of the residents, Operation Dudula’s leader Nhlanhla “Lux” Dlamini said he was the mouthpiece of disgruntled people. He said service delivery in Soweto was in its worst state.

“An immediate solution for electricity is that each community in Soweto is going to be allocated a technician,” Dlamini said.

“Soweto has a large number of South Africans, who you lead in the city of Johannesburg. We are not saying we are better [than others or should be given] priority, but we are saying that you can use Soweto as a case study for your success in your term.”

LISTEN | Joburg mayor asks for 14 days to review #SowetoShutdown memorandum 

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